Lamp basing machine



Jan. 1954 H. E. BAKER ET AL LAMP BASING MACHINE 3 SheegsSheet 1 Filed June 16, 1951 INVENTORS .HAROLD E. BAKER HOSEPH H. BROOKS ATTOR Jan. 12, 1954 H. E. BAKER ET AL 2,665,894

LAMP BASING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1951 INVENTORS a HAROLD E. BAKER BROOKS 1954- H. E. BAKER ET AL LAMP BASING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 16, 1951 INVENTORS HAROLD E. BAKER JOSEPH H. BROOKS C ATTORN Patented Jan. 12, 1954 LAMP BASING MACHINE Harold E. Baker, Danvers, and Joseph H. Brooks,

West Peabody, Mass,, assignors to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., Salem, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 16, 1951, Serial N0. 231,964

2 Claims. 1 N This invention relates to apparatus for basing electrical devices and more particularly to a fluorescent lamp basing machine.

Anobject of this invention is to facilitate the application of bases to electrical devices.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for automatically basing electrical devices.

Afurther object is to provide an apparatus for automatically basin an electrical device, such as a fluorescent lamp, at both ends at the same time.

In the art of basing electrical devices, such as radio tubes and incandescent lamps, it has been the practice to position these devices on an apparatus, commonly known as a basing reel, where the basing operation is performed. Nornially the devices are disposed with their longitudinal axes disposed in a vertical plane. In the manufacture of fluorescent lamps, which are provided with a base at each end thereof, an apparatus. such as. that shown in U. S. Patent 2,264,304 issuedDecember 2, 1941, to Gardner and entitled fLamp Basing Machine has been employed. In apparatus of this .type, the ends of the lamp are based separately, i. e., after one end hasbeen based, the" lamp is rotated 180. and the other end is thencba'sed.

'Des'iderata of importance in fluorescent lamp manufacture have been'the basing" of both ends of the lamp simultaneously andthe effecting of this operation with the longitudinal axis of the lamp disposed in a horizontal plane. Both of these goals have'ibeen attained in accordance with the principles'of the instant invention, one embodiment .of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1' is an elevational view of a fluorescent lamp basing machine.

Figure 2 is anend elevational view on an enlarged scale of a pair of basing heads on a conveyor showing the means for actuating them.

Figure 3 is a plan view partly in section of a basing machine head unit looking in the direction 33 of Figure' l, with the movable jaw on the left side omitted for clarity of illustration.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view looking in the direction 4- 1 of Figure 1 showing the means for actuating the basing heads.

' Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view of an end of a based fluorescent lamp.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 3, wherein there is shown a specific embodiment of a basing machine comprising a pair of spaced endlesschainsplll on which a plurality of headcarrying bars vl2. are mounted, chains ID are mounted. on sprocket wheels 14, iii and I8, and are drivenby motor 2ll.through drive shaft 22 on which sprocket wheel [4 is mounted. The chains ride on chain tracks 24 mounted on transverse angle bars 26 of the basing machine frame 28. Each head-carrying bar l2 has a basing head 33 mounted on each end thereof. Lamps 32, with bases 8 loosely positioned at the ends thereof and lead-in wires 88 threaded through base pins 82, are fed to heads its from lamp-feeding conveyor 34. The lamps 32 are loosely seated in V-shaped heads 36 on the conveyor-.35 and drop therefrom into basing heads 30. Chains ID on which head-carrying bars l2 are mounted, then carry lamps 32 with bases 84 loosely positioned on the ends thereof to a plurality of stations on the basing machine frame 28 at which heat, supplied by gas burners 38, is applied to the lamp bases to cure the basing cement 85 disposed therein to thereby effect the basing operation.

The bank of gas burners 38 are mounted in a,

manifold it attached to the machine frame 28 and which is supplied with gas from a suitable source (not shown). After the basing operation has been completed, the basing heads release the lamps, thus permitting them to roll down a track 12 onto a lamp-receiving table 44.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, each basing head 39 comprises a fixed jaw 66 and a movable jaw 48. The fixed jaw 46 is mounted on a bracket to and the movable jaw :38 is attached to an end of a lever 52 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a shaft 54 in bracket 50. As

' best shownin Figure 3, the left hand bracket 50 Each of the shafts 54, on which the levers iare mounted, is supported in a bearing 62 and is provided with a spring 64 concentric therewith which loads the lever 52 to maintain the jaws 46 and 48 normally closed to one another. A pair of bar cams 66, mounted on tracks 24, at each side of the machine frame 28, are engageable by cam rollers iii) on the free end of levers 52 during a portion of the basing machine operating cycle to open the jaws as shown in Figure 2;

Referring now to the right hand side of Figure 3 and Figure 4, the slide 56 has a stud 10 depending therefrom and extending through the slot 60 in the bar l2; to the free end of stud it, engages a bar cam 14, mounted on a cam support 15 mounted on angle bars 25, during a portion of the basing machine operating cycle and thereby effects a traversing stroke of the slide 56 on the bar l2. The slide 56 is normally maintained in the in position by a spring 16 supported on a stud 18 upstanding The slide 56 is provided,

A cam roller 12, attached carrying bars I2 are mounted} move around,

sprocket wheels I 6 and upwardly along the chain tracks 24, the basing heads 30 are brought into be displaced and the movable jaws 48 opened in order to free thelamp. The mechanisms for effectinguthese two operationsnre the, same as those described above for'preparing the basing heads 30 for receiving a lamp prior to the basing operation. Displacement of the slide 56 is ef- .fected by a bar cam 14 and the movable jaws 48 are opened by bar'cams 66. When slide 56 and thejaws 4 8 are actuated the based lamp 32 rolls engagement with certain head-actuating mocha nisms described above via, the bar cam 14 which I move the head-carrying bars l2 upwardly, the

camroller 12 engages the bar cam '14 and the c'arn rollers E8 engage the bar cams 66L As the cam-roller 12' rides along the bar cam M it effects a displacement to the right of the slide 56 through the stud 10. his effects a similar displacement of the right hand head 30 since it is mounted on thebracket B which is attached to the slide 56. At the same time that this lateral displacement of'the slide 56 is taking place, the cam'frollers 6B are'riding along the bar cams G6 tojefiect an opening of the movable jaws 48. Displacement of: the camroll ers 88 by the bar cams E'B pausesfthe levers 52 to rotate about the axes of-thefsha'fts 54"on which they are mounted (Figs. 2-'and*3-) thereby opening jaws 48.

After the right hand head 35 has been displaced to'the right'and both movable jaws 48 havebeen opened, a 1amp 32 is dropped into the headstfl' from the heads tit-on the feeding conveyjor34. (Fig.1). W

il'sth'e lamp 3llis carried upwardlyiFig. 4),

the ,contours'oif the bar'cam' I l and bar came 66.

are suchfthat, through their respective'cam rollersiareturnof the slide56 to the leftand a closing of'movable'jaws s are effected; Clos-' "or the jaws 48: as" the rollers 63 ride 01f off ba'fc'a'ms B6 is'shown clearly inFigure 2,"the

lamp 3g'being omitted in th'e'right hand head as for t'sl'arity of illustration. The 'movable jaws. 4B

on eaich 'e'ndof the;head carrying'bar i2 are seaweeds "a positive closed, Position 'byfthe springs 154 6a which a ldad was placed due ts; th

rotational displacement of the levers 52Z Re: turn of? the 'slid'e'SFtd the left as the cam 'r'oller izfijifioves'brr of the high point or the bar c m 'lfandiventiially out of contact therewith is of restedfbythe sermg onwhich a load was ami uirmei es ro e es a t .With the lamp 32 and the bases 84 held firmly between "the heads-3fl and the jaws 46 and 48 of "siste head muse the lamp is carried upward-f ly'tda serie's of heating stations. (Fig. 1) where heatdrorfithef'burners v 38 cures the basing 'ce down the track 42 to the lamp-receiving table 44.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for securing a base, having a thermo-setting cement disposed therein, to each endof an elongated tubular electric lamp simultaneously, said apparatu comprising: a conveyor; a bar mounted on said conveyor transver'sely thereof; a'pair of separable heads mounted at the ends of said bar for receiving a' base and supporting the lamp; means for reciprocably dis placing said heads longitudinally-with respect to one another to admit therebetween a lamp wijth a base positionedon each end thereof andtoeffect end-on engagement of the bases with said heads; means fpr'opening' and closing each of said heads for sequentially receiving; securing and freeing a lamp base; and heating means'disposed adjacent to the path traversed by said heads on said conveyor forcur'ing the thermosetting cement dispos d in thebases and thereby effecting attachment of thebases to the ends'of the lamp.

' 2. Apparatus for securing a base, having a thermo-setting cement disposed therein, to each end of an elongated tubular electric lamp simul taneously, said apparatus comprising; a conveyor; a bar mounted on said conveyor trans-j versely thereof a plate fixedly mounted on, said: bar at one end thereof; a slide mounted. on said; bar at the other end thereof; a pair of heads for receiving the bases and supporting the larn'pQ one of said heads beins. mounted onsaid plate; and the other of said heads' being mountedjon said slide, and each o f said heads comprising a p r o jaws; me n or eci r a g sa dfl ide to displace the head mounted thereon longitug dinally with respect to the head mounted-on and down theleft hand side of the machine frame 28 foreventual discharge to the lamp-receiving table 44-.- Before the lamp 32 can be discharged,-

the slide 56 on the head-carrying bar I2 must said plate'tofadmit therebetween a lamp with a base positioned on each e'ndthereof, and jtojre turn the head mounted on, said slide to effect" end-onengageme'nt of the bases with said heads; means for opening andclosing the jaws offea'oh 1 of said heads, for sequentially receiving, securing and freeing a lamp base; and heating jrn'eans disposed adjacent to the path traversed by. said heads on said conveyor forlcuring the thermo setting cement disposed in vthe bases .andthereby efiecting attachment of .thebase's' to the'ends of the lamp'.

' A D Ea AK R JOSEPH H- BROOKS v ReferencesCited in the file of this patent;

" un ansreraaraTE i 2,342,04d. Debold Feb, 15,1944; 

